Yarn design forming tool

ABSTRACT

A yarn design forming tool has upper and lower plates sandwiching for rotation a drive plate having arcuate slots, uniformly formed, radiating about its center. The slots each have a flat portion at its outer end. The slots receive the short legs of L-shaped pins respectively and drive them in or out from the periphery of the plates depending on the direction of rotation of the drive plate. The flat portions lock yarn-holding pins in their outward position during the design forming process. The pins move in precisely radial channels.

ilnite States Patent [191 Kruger et al.

[ Aug. 14, 1973 22 Filed:

[ YARN DESIGN FORMING TOOL [75] Inventors: James B. Kruger, Oxford; Joseph Cooper, Westport, both of Conn.

[73] Assignee: Scoville Manufacturing Company,

Waterbury, Conn.

Feb. 15, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 226,609

[52] US. Cl. 28/2, 28/15 [51] Int. Cl D0441 7/06 [58] Field of Search 28/15, 2

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,61 [,947 9/1952 Ciroli et al 28/2 2,799,956 7/1957 Ciroli 28/15 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 554,809 7/1932 Germany 28/2 Primary Examiner-Louis K. Rimrodt Attorney-Ballett Hoopes ABSTRACT A yam design forming tool has upper and lower plates sandwiching for rotation a drive plate having arcuate slots, uniformly formed, radiating about its center. The slots each have a flat portion at its outer end. The slots receive the short legs of L-shaped pins respectively and drive them in or out from the periphery of the plates depending on the direction of rotation of the drive plate. The flat portions lock yam-holding pins in their outward position during the design forming process. The pins move in precisely radial channels.

5 Claims, 1 Drawing Figures 1 YARN DESIGN FORMING TOOL This invention relates to a yarn design forming tool. More specifically, this invention relates to a tool adapted to have yarn-attaching pins extending outward from its periphery during the design forming process,

the pins being retractable into the tool after the process so that the design product may be readily removed from the tool.

There have been several showings in the prior art of tools for forming artificial flowers or the like from yarn. An example is the old U. S. Pat. No. 1,819,234. In the past, the outward pins at the periphery of the tool have had their inner ends pivotally connected to a rotatable disc so that at the end of the design forming processing the disc could be rotated to move the pins inward. There have been drawbacks in the devices of the prior art. In the first place, the major drawback has been that an inward pressure on the ends of the pins has forced the rotation of the disc to drive all pins inward, possibly inadvertently, causing the half-tinished product to fall from the tool and require recommencing of the process. Further, the pins in the prior tools have not moved in a radial direction but, being pi- 'oted to the disc, have oscillated about the periphery as they have been moved in and out. This has caused a sloppiness and imprecision to the detriment of the process and the product.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a yarn design forming tool in which the pins at one end of the rotation of the drive plate are locked in the out- 30 ward disposition so that inward pressure on their ends has no effect and the pins cannot be inadvertently moved inward. It is a further object to provide a tool in which the pins move precisely radially.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a study of the following specification including the drawings, all of which relate to a non-limiting embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a tool embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view having a portion of the upper plate removed;

FIG. 3 is a view of the underside of the upper plate;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary view of the upper surface of the lower plate;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7 is a reduced view of a product of a tool embodying the invention.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, a yarn design forming tool embodying the invention is generally designated 10 in FIG. I. It comprises an upper plate 12 which may be circular and may have suitable indicia on its upper surface (FIG. 2). The undersurface of the upper plate is provided with a plurality of uniformiy spaced radial channels 14 radiated out from the center of the plate. Outward from the channels, the peripheral portion of the undersurface is slightly depressed in a, circular zone 16. Spaced about the zone are a plurality of projecting studs 18. Centrally disposed on the underside of the plate 12 is a tubular boss projecting downward (FIG. 1).

A lower plate 22 of the same peripheral shape as the upper plate 12 is formed with a central opening 24 and features a plurality of channels 26 radially aligned with the channels in the upper plate as shown in FIG. 1. A zone 28 at the periphery of the lower plate is raised and carries a plurality of openings 30 which receive the studs 18 to provide means holding the upper and lower plates together. The portion 28 carries radial channel extensions 32 which are radially aligned with the channels 26 and the channels 14 of the upper plate 12. When the two plates are assembled together, the channels 32 become extensions of the channels 14 in the upper plate.

Rotatably sandwiched between the upper and lower plates is the drive plate 34 (FIG. 2). It has a knob 36 formed integrally with it and extending through the opening 24 in the lower plate. The knob at its upper end carries an opening which receives the boss 20 to journal the drive plate for rotation in the upper and lower plates. The drive plate, as shown in FIG. 2, is formed with a plurality of arcuate slots 38 which radiate outward from the knob and are uniformly spaced. Each of the arcuate slots 38 is inclined in the same direction with respect to a radius of the plate. At its outer end, each of the slots 38 is formed with a flat portion 38a which is generally perpendicular to a radius of the plate.

The tool further comprises a plurality of L-shaped pins 40. The pins (FIG. 1) each have their longer legs 42 disposed partly in the channel 14 in the upper plate and also in the channel extensions 32. The shorter legs 44 extend through one of the arcuate slots 38 and ride in the aligned radial channel 26 in the lower plate.

In operation, at the beginning of the design forming process, the drive plate is rotated counterclockwise (FIG. 2) to the point shown so that the legs 44 of each of the pins are disposed in the flat portion 38a of the associated slot. Inward pressure against the end of the pin cannot, because portion 38a is flat, cam the plate 34 around to inadvertently drive in all pins. In other words, the pins are locked outward in the position shown in FIG. 2. At the end of the design forming process, the product P shown in FIG. 7 may be removed from the tool by rotating the plate 34 clockwise (FIG. 2) to move all pins inward on the precise radial line of the grooves.

It will thus be seen that I have developed a yarn design forming tool of remarkable simplicity and inexpensive construction which at the same time provides the advantage of precise pin movement to the benefit of the product, and a locking effect to prevent inadvertent inward pin movement.

The embodiment discussed and shown in the draw ings is a preferred embodiment of circular shape. It should be understood that, as with other circular tools of this type, bridges or other fixtures may be used to af fect the shape of the design product. Alternatively, tool may be of square shape, or any other shape, to affect accordingly the shape of the design product. Thus, while the invention has been shown in but one embodiment, it is susceptible of many variations. The scope of the invention herein is expressed in the following claim language:

We claim:

1. A yarn design forming tool comprising:

a. an upper plate having on its underside spaced radial channels radiating outward from its center;

b. a lower plate having a central opening and radial channels in its .upper surface radially aligned with the channels in its upper plate;

c. means holding together the upper and lower plates;

d. a drive plate rotatably sandwiched between the upper and lower plates and having a knob for manually turning the drive plate extending through the opening in the lower plate, the drive plate having a plurality of similarly shaped arcuate slots radiating outwardly from the knob, uniformly spaced, and each of the slots being inclined in the same direction with respect to a radius of the drive plate;

e. a plurality of L-shaped pins having their long legs disposed respectively in the channels in one of the upper or lower plates and their short legs extending respectively through the arcuate slots in the drive plate and having its free ends riding respectively in the aligned channels in the other of the upper or lower plates;

whereby as the knob and drive plate are turned, the

free ends of the long legs of the pins move inward or outward at the periphery of the plates.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slots each terminate at their outer ends in a flat portion generally perpendicular to a radius.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper plate has on its lower surface means to journal the drive plate at its center for rotation.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein all plates are of molded plastic.

5. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower plate has in its upper surface a central depression which receives the drive plate and outward from the depression channel means which are extensions of the channels in the bottom surface of the upper plate, the upper surface of the lower plate and the lower surface of the upper plate being held securely in contact adjacent their peripheries by the means holding the plates together. 

1. A yarn design forming tool comprising: a. an upper plate having on its underside spaced radial channels radiating outward from its center; b. a lower plate having a central opening and radial channels in its upper surface radially aligned with the channels in its upper plate; c. means holding together the upper and lower plates; d. a drive plate rotatably sandwiched between the upper and lower plates and having a knob for manually turning the drive plate extending through the opening in the lower plate, the drive plate havIng a plurality of similarly shaped arcuate slots radiating outwardly from the knob, uniformly spaced, and each of the slots being inclined in the same direction with respect to a radius of the drive plate; e. a plurality of L-shaped pins having their long legs disposed respectively in the channels in one of the upper or lower plates and their short legs extending respectively through the arcuate slots in the drive plate and having its free ends riding respectively in the aligned channels in the other of the upper or lower plates; whereby as the knob and drive plate are turned, the free ends of the long legs of the pins move inward or outward at the periphery of the plates.
 2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the slots each terminate at their outer ends in a flat portion generally perpendicular to a radius.
 3. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper plate has on its lower surface means to journal the drive plate at its center for rotation.
 4. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein all plates are of molded plastic.
 5. A tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lower plate has in its upper surface a central depression which receives the drive plate and outward from the depression channel means which are extensions of the channels in the bottom surface of the upper plate, the upper surface of the lower plate and the lower surface of the upper plate being held securely in contact adjacent their peripheries by the means holding the plates together. 